Chicago Cubs - TeamReport

As the Cubs made their first turn through the pitching rotation, manager Dale Sveum gave a small-sample-size state-of-the-state on his team.

Sveum is in his first year as manager of the Cubs. In spring training, he predicted starting pitching would be a strength of the team.

After Tuesday night's 7-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Cubs had gotten quality starts from their top three starters. No. 4 man Chris Volstad was OK in Monday's 7-5 loss, and lefty Paul Maholm was hit around early Tuesday.

"Besides the record, the starting pitching has been outstanding," Sveum said, making his comments before Maholm was beaten up. "We've had some timely hitting. We've had some bad luck hitting as well. On a whole, we've done OK with the effort, the preparation, the fundamentals. We've had a couple of hiccups defensively. It's been fine. We've put ourselves in situations to win ballgames, and in the major leagues, that's what you try to do every night."

The Cubs fell behind the Brewers 6-0 in the third inning but got themselves into the game with three in the bottom of the third. They lurked for the rest of the night. It was the first time in five games they did not hold a lead at some point in a game.

It's a tough stretch for the Cubs to open the season. They faced tough pitchers against Washington. After four against the Brewers, it's on to St. Louis and Miami for the first road trip of the season.

"It's a tough schedule, but hey, it's major-league baseball," Sveum said. "A lot of teams have really good starting pitching now. It's just kind of part of the game. Get leads is what we have to do. We have to get leads."

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MLB Team Report - Chicago Cubs - NOTES, QUOTES

--SS Starlin Castro hit a double in the first inning. He went 0-for-5 Monday to end a streak of 43 consecutive games for Castro reaching base safely, dating to last Aug. 15. "It's amazing," Castro said. "Keep going." Castro was disappointed at himself for getting called out on strikes against Brewers closer John Axford with the bases loaded to end Monday's 7-5 loss. "He threw me pretty good pitches," Castro said. "Back-to-back curveballs and the fastball down the middle. He kind of froze me."

--IF Jeff Baker started at first base Tuesday against Brewers LHP Chris Narveson. Bryan LaHair, a left-handed batter, started Monday and had a single and his first homer of the year. "I'm going to get Baker in there as much as possible," said manager Dale Sveum. "He's swings the bat just too good against left-handers just to get him out of there."

--LHP Paul Maholm threw 41 pitches in the first inning. He gave up five runs on two hits, including a three-run homer to Alex Gonzalez. He also hit two batters and walked two. "Put it blunt, I sucked," Maholm said. "It was a bad inning. I didn't throw like I normally threw. To put the team down 5-0, to even go in the dugout, not what you want to do. That kind of summed it up."

--LF Alfonso Soriano never has been known for his defense. However, he went to the wall to grab a drive off the bat of Brewers 3B Aramis Ramirez. Manager Dale Sveum sounded more than pleased with Soriano's approach to his defensive work. "I've been impressed with his effort about everything," Sveum said. "He's worked extremely hard. I think he'd admit that he had a little hiccup last night (Monday) on the flyball (he misplayed). But other than that, he's played really good out in the outfield."

--C Geovany Soto hit his first homer of the season in the ninth inning. Manager Dale Sveum said he expects Soto to start five times a week, with backup Steve Clevenger getting two starts a week. Sveum said he liked the work Soto has done with rookie pitchers Rafael Dolis and Lendy Castillo. "Geo's done a good job, trying to get these guys to calm down a little bit," Sveum said. "Castillo's first couple innings in the big leagues were last night, and his legs were about as rubbery and as wobbly as they possibly could be."

BY THE NUMBERS: 1,900 -- When Chris Volstad started Monday's game, he became the 1,900th player to appear in at least one regular-season game for the franchise.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I thought the wind was blowing in. Honestly, the pitches that they hit out were brutal." -- LHP Paul Maholm, on homers he gave up to the Brewers' Alex Gonzalez and Jonathan Lucroy.

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MLB Team Report - Chicago Cubs - ROSTER REPORT

MEDICAL WATCH:

--RHP Marcos Mateo (ulnar neuritis in right arm) went on the 60-day disabled list April 4.